Avengeance: Heroes Among Us
by Derek Metaltron
Summary: When tragic events affect the lives of millions, decisions undertaken by a few for the greater good will lead to conflict on a terrible scale as Earth's Mightiest Heroes find themselves on opposing sides and the line between hero and villain is blurred. An adaption of the 'Injustice' DC Video Game featuring the Avengers.
1. Dramtis Personae

**(Disclaimer and Intro: Welcome to _Avengeance_, an attempt by me to adapt the storyline of the DC Fighting Game _Injustice: Gods Among Us_ to feature the Avengers with an array of Marvel characters both good and evil. The story clearly will contain parallels which means spoilers for the actual DC game, as well as some new ideas by myself which attempt to expand the world a little. This is probably the most ambitious project I've been planning in a while - I got about over 50 chapters in mind already, with more besides. I'll probably go into more detail in future chapters but for the sake of keeping this intro short, I just wish to say that the Avengers and their numerous allies and enemies are properties of Marvel Comics, and that the inspiration for this fanfiction was created by DC Comics and Netherealm Studios (and if you haven't played it already you should cause it is totally awesome!). The _Avengeance_ Universe is its own reality, taking inspiration from both the 616 Comics and the MCU Avenger movies, so I'm hoping both comic and movie fans will take something out of it. Hope you enjoy this story and please send me your reviews and comments, it's how I'll improve as a writer! :) ) **

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"_Me…I'm a __**futurist**__. The way my mind works… That's why I'm such a successful inventor. I know what people will need __**before**__ they know they're going to __**need**__ it. And now I'm going to tell you the future. Someday… A hero… some carefree, happy-go-lucky, well-meaning person with the __**best**__ of intentions, will do something __**wrong**__. He'll be trying to save someone – do something heroic – but he'll make a __**mistake**__… and people will be hurt or killed because of it. And it'll either happen on live TV, or it'll be recorded. … Be played over and over, all over the world. Until all the unrest that is __**already**__ bubbling will __**boil **__over… And the country __**will**__ rupture. Sides will be taken and people will get hurt. Friend against friend. People who used to be adversaries finding themselves teamed up against a common cause. Friends __**dying**__ at the hands of a former ally or team mate._

_This is what __**will**__ happen." – Anthony 'Tony' Stark_

"_Our world, our… reality… It's one of an __**infinite**__ number of universes, of… 'What If's', if you like. Some of them may well be exactly like our own, but maybe because of one or two events, maybe minor, perhaps major… could be __**very **__different." – Doctor Henry Pym _

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**AVENGEANCE: HEROES AMONG US**

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**Dramatis Personae**

**THE AVENGERS  
**  
_Banner, Bruce ('Hulk', Nuclear Scientist, Gamma Infused Human, Founding Avenger)  
Barnes, James ('Winter Soldier ', WW2 Vet, Red Room Inductee, Avenger)  
Barton, Clint ('Hawkeye', Marksman, Former Criminal, Former Agent of SHIELD, Avenger)  
Danvers, Carol ('Captain Marvel', United States Air Force, Former Agent of SHIELD, Avenger)  
Drew, Jessica ('Spider-Woman', Former Agent of HYDRA, Former Agent of SHIELD, Avenger)  
Logan ('Wolverine', Mutant, Weapon X Program, Former Alpha Flight Member, X-Man, Avenger)  
Maximoff, Pietro ('Quicksilver', Mutant, Former Brotherhood of Mutants, Avenger)  
Maximoff, Wanda ('Scarlet Witch , Mutant, Former Brotherhood of Mutants, Avenger)  
Parker, Peter ('Spider-Man', Former Daily Bugle Photographer, Horizon Labs Worker, Avenger)  
Pym, Henry 'Hank' ('Ant-Man', Scientist Supreme, Founding Avenger)  
Rhodes, James ('War Machine', United States Military, STARK Industries Contact, Avenger)  
Rogers, Steve ('Captain America, Super Soldier Program, WW2 Vet, Honorary Founding Avenger)  
Ross, Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' ('Red Hulk', United States Military, Gamma Infused Human, Avenger)  
Stark, Anthony 'Tony' (STARK Industries Director, Founding Avenger)  
T'Challa ('Black Panther', King of Wakanda, Avenger)  
Thor (Asgardian, Prince of Asgard, Physician In Mortal 'Donald Blake' Form, Founding Avenger)  
Van Dyne, Janet ('Wasp', Former Fashion Model, Founding Avenger)  
Vision (Cybernetic Construct Created by Ultron, Avenger)_

**SHIELD** (**Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division)**

_Carter, Sharon (Level 7 SHIELD Agent, Known Romantic Ties to Steve Rogers)  
Coulson, Phil (Level 7 SHIELD Agent)  
Fury, Nick (Colonel, Level 10/Director of SHIELD, Additional Intel Classified)  
Hill, Maria (Commander, Level 9/ Acting Director of SHIELD)  
Romanoff, Natasha (Level 7 SHIELD, Former Red Room Inductee, Avengers Liaison) _

**STARK Industries**

_Hogan, Harold 'Happy' (Former Mid-Weight Boxing Champion, Security Officer at STARK Industries)  
Potts, Virginia 'Pepper' (STARK Industries CEO Appointed by Anthony Stark)_

**OSCORP Industries**

_Osborn, Harry ('Green Goblin II', Honorary OSCORP Trustee)  
Osborn, Norman ('Green Goblin/Iron Patriot', OSCORP Director)_

**Currently Active Super Criminals (Approach with Extreme Caution!)**

_Amora ('Enchantress', Asgardian, Sorceress with Mental Manipulation)  
Blonsky, Emil ('Abomination', Former Russian Agent, Gamma Infused Human)  
Dillon, Max ('Electro', Super Criminal, Electricity Manipulation)  
Frost, Whitney ('Madame Masque', Super Criminal, Daughter of Count Nefaria (Deceased), Skilled Markswoman, Possible Romantic Ties to Anthony Stark)  
Le Fay, Morgan (9__th__ Century Sorceress, Time Travel Abilities, __**Possible Connections to Victor Von Doom, Further Investigations On-going**__)  
Loki (Faux Asgardian, Ice Giant, Shape Shifter, Magic User, __**HIGHLY DANGEROUS DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE!**__)  
Master, Tony ('Taskmaster', Highly Skilled Assassin and Merc, Engage with high risk!)  
Richards, Nathaniel ('Kang the Conqueror', 31__ST__ Century Native, Time Traveller, Possible Descendant of Reed Richards or Victor Von Doom, __**ALERT, PARADOXICAL NATURE DUE TO TIME TRAVEL! DEAL WITH HIGH CAUTION!**__)  
Schmidt, Johann ('Red Skull', Former Nazi Party Member, Former HYDRA Commander, Highly Dangerous!)  
Schmidt, Sinthea ('Sin', Daughter of Red Skull, Shares Father's Ideologies, Skilled Markswoman, __**ALERT:**__**Displays High Sociopathic Traits, Restrain or Kill on Sight!**__)  
Tong, Zhang ('Mandarin', File Name believed to be alias, actual name unknown, possesses high intelligence and alien ring-based technology)  
Ulton (Cybernetic Construct, Creation of Hank Pym, __**Highly Dangerous! Present Location Unknown!**__)  
Viper ('Madame HYDRA', Current Commander of HYDRA__**, Capture or Kill on Sight!**__)  
Von Doom, Victor ('Doctor Doom', Ruler of Latveria, Highly Skilled in both Advanced Technology and Magic,__** ALERT, LEVEL 10 THREAT, Diplomatic Immunity prevents Elimination! DO NOT ENGAGE UNLESS AUTHORISED!**__)  
Zemo, Helmut ('Baron Zemo II' , Child of Henrich Zemo, Former Thunderbolt Leader)_


	2. Prologue 1: Winter Soldier

**[AN: The Avengers and their numerous allies and enemies are properties of Marvel Comics, and the inspiration for this fanfiction, _Injustice: Gods Among Us_, was created by DC Comics and Netherealm Studios. This opening prologue was inspired by the first two page of the awesome _Injustice_ Prequel Comic.]**

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**Prologue 1: The Soldier**

**Six Months Ago...**

From the scope of his sniper rifle, James Barnes could see the streets of New York with ease, twisting the sights to zoom in and out at short intervals as his cybernetic arm steadied his aim. His attention was drawn upwards for a few moments as a military clad helicopter veered in his direction, and Barnes quickly retreated momentarily to the shadows as its searchlight glided across the neighbouring rooftops before it departed in a north eastern route. Within a matter of seconds the Winter Soldier was back in his secured position, sights trained, every muscle both organic and artificial primed for action.

It had become second nature for him to think that way, given how many decades he'd had to prime his deadly, unary skills of stealth, infiltration and - when required of him - assassination. Whether it had been amid the battlefields of conflict, the shadows of Cold War Diplomacy or the various assignments and missions men like Nick Fury had assigned him to, James 'Bucky' Barnes had preformed to the best of his ability, which thanks to the combat training in Camp Lehigh and the more in-depth 'programming' he'd received via the paymasters of the Soviet Red Room were second to none.

Barnes had been a killer since he was fifteen years old and now, some ten years advanced in age and yet so very much older if one was to count the natural passage of time, he was still prepared to do the tasks which, once, the various members of Earth's Mightiest Heroes - the Avengers – would hesitate from performing. Of course since the events that had seen Barnes freed of the brain washing the Soviets and their eventual remnants by the man he had respected more than any other, Steve Rogers – Captain America – he'd had needed to come to terms with the things he had been forced, totally against his will since the end of the war, to do. Some people like Nick Fury had understood that mind set, and Barnes had spent the time he'd had since in his employment, under cover. It had taken time for Barnes to even want to face his former mentor and friend, such were the levels of guilt.

And there had been others who had understood too. Someone who he'd fallen for despite his programming, amid the mad insanity of the Red Room. Because she was one of its strongest and deadliest agents in the thrall of the Soviet Union.

Natasha. Natasha Romanoff. _The Black Widow._

Barnes shook himself out of the memories he'd unwittingly allowed to leak out from his mind, especially with her. He had a job to do, and the sudden sounds of marching on the streets below shook him from their thoughts. Armoured troopers in formation, scouting the alleyways and dark corners for the merest treads of disobedience. And there was no other sound in earshot, besides the occasional hum of a copter or the quick thrust of an OSCORP Sentinel on patrol in the skies above.

James managed to reel in his disgust at the sights below as he abandoned his post, forming a zip line to the side of the building across. This was the thing he, Cap and the Invaders had fought to prevent in the War, to make sure that Hitler and his Nazi Goosesteppers never got the chance to march across the pavements of London, Dublin, New York and Washington, anything like he'd seen amid Paris, Rome and Berlin. And yet now, all these decades on, it was here. All across America, and spreading like an unstoppable fire to the rest of the free world.

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Carefully Barnes reached the glass window one story up from his landing position and, with a cutting tool to hand, expertly started to form a circle in the glass, large enough to slip into and designed not to trigger any alarms within. Another device from the vast stores of Nicholas Fury.

What made it more disheartening was the fact that these weren't Nazis or Soviet forces below. Those men and women were Americans. Americans who had been filled with the overwhelming presence of fear and need for security, Which back in the day, had been the exact reason why it had been so easy for the little man with the crappy moustache to do his thing, and how cruel, sadistic people like the Red Skull, Baron Heinrich Zemo and Master Man had brutally put down anyone who dare question the will of the Master Race.

Except it wasn't a Hitler who was overseeing the Regime that dominated New York and the rest of the nation. No, Bucky Barnes had known the man who now, in his judgement and desire for the greater good, had taken the things which had made the Avengers such a force of good and turned it into an order, an army of meta humans and the few remaining mutants which now patrolled America. It was the man who had effectively founded and financed the Avengers in the first place.

It was _Tony Stark_. The Iron Man. The Billionaire Playboy turned Super Hero. The Visionary. And now, the leader of the Regime. With a final click the glass was slid to the side and Barnes was through, thermal visor equipped as he moved cautiously into the darkened hallways with as much stealth as possible.

Stark wasn't alone in overseeing the Regime. Thanks to the events of nearly five years gone others had become warped to his viewpoint, believing either firmly in his cause, or at least unwilling to question his judgement out of fear. Men and women Bucky had once respected. Close friends and allies alike. But then, Bucky hadn't been alone in opposing the Regime either.

With as quiet movement as he could manage Barnes checked round the corner of the hallway he was advancing through, sighting a lone Regime Soldier, clad with an array of weaponry and STARK-OSCORP technology. _Heavy Trooper, damn_. But he hadn't been spotted yet. With lightning speed but minimal noise tread on the carpet floor, Barnes activated an EMP shock within his cybernetic arm and ploughed his fist into the nearest pressure point he could reach. Even under the armour this would stagger the enemy, and the EMP instantly fried most of the advanced circuits in the trooper's suit, since it wasn't anything nearly as advanced as the suits Bucky knew Stark kept for his personal use. The soldier was only able to turn about in an attempt to toss a round of OSCORP Grenades – less Goblin'y than the ones Barnes recalled from the good old days – before he found his helmet ripped aside and a sock to the jaw. He would live, but he'd certainly feel that in the couple of hours that he'd regain consciousness-

There was a beeping from the suit's armour. A flashing red light Barnes could see from within. _Crap, the emergency transmission signal didn't get shut down!_ Barnes knew that meant what he'd hoped would be an hour to work from would give him, what, five to ten minutes max? Cursing under his breath, the Winter Soldier quickened his pace, stopping only to hide momentarily as two lighter armoured guards rounded the corner and found their unfortunately helmetless heads smacking together.

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Two more minutes brought Barnes to a secured panel and, using the codes which had been extracted from a previous mission, entered the room he'd been sent to infiltrate. His com-line bleeped from within his right ear and pressing the receptor within, he activated his side of the line. "Barnes, I'm in."

Steve Rogers' controlled but hesitant voice replied to him. _"Have you found the secure box yet?"_

"Working on it, yeah."

"_Well you've gotten the big fellows riled up. Rhodes says there's a heavy thermal signal coming your way... I think it's... yes. It's him."_

"Osborn?"

"_Looks to be."_

"Shit, I'm not in the mood for a firefight. Standby, and let's hope this was worth the risk after..." Buck hesitated at speaking the name, but he knew that Rogers knew exactly who he had meant. The woman who had sacrificed herself along with the man she had loved and respected in the effort to get Barnes the second last component of the device they needed to save their world.

"_I know, Bucky, I know. But Clint and... and Nastaha. They knew the risks. Like Logan. Like Wilson, Rand, Murdock and Cage. Like Fury. Their sacrifices mustn't have been in vain."_

All the while Barnes had been at the side of a container he'd located with the desired code name, unscrambling the locks with his EMP's and tech knowledge. He tried not to notice the tear trickling down his face, and ripped the final seal away to inspect the dim glow of the object within. "You know, even if this works, we'll probably get one shot at using this."

"_Yes."_

"We could use it to change things for the-"

"_It's too unpredictable, Bucky, you know that. What happened five years ago happened. What Loki did can't be undone with a wave of the hand. No matter how much I would like to see Tony like himself-"_

"I've **got** it." Barnes growled. "No need for any damn lecture, boy scout. I'll contact you when I'm safely away." And before Steve could respond he'd severed the connection, placing the lid back on the container and cautiously slipping it into an expanding backpack. He took two steps out from the room-

Then the hallway exploded. Barnes just had enough time to nimbly leap to one side, feeling the cool breeze of the New York Night Air beyond. His planned exit wasn't an option any more.

* * *

He heard the noise of the repulsors before he felt them nearly pound him into a wall, before the red, white and blue armour blurred into view through the dust and rumble. **Clank. Clank. Clank.**

_"Osborn."_

The looming figure of the Iron Patriot advanced on him, the electronically enhanced voice of villainy behind it. _**"Barnes, Barnes, Barnes. Surrender, if you know what's good for you. And hand over the box whilst you're at it."** _Norman Osborn. Formerly the Green Goblin and totally insane when he wasn't taking his happy pills. Of course even when he was, the rational Osborn wasn't much better. Unlike most of the small yet elite cadre of villains who'd decided or been forced to follow Stark after five years ago, Osborn seemed to fit his new persona like a smooth leather glove. A glove over a nasty, scaly serpent hand.

"Like hell."

_**"Good, I'd hate to see you give up with so many of your bones intact, boy."**_

"Boy?! C'mon Ozzie, I was beating up paid thugs like you when you were in your Goblin Nappies!" Barnes permitted himself a sly smirk, wishing he could see the no-doubt irritated expression on Osborn's face beneath. If he had, the tone he received didn't betray it.

_**"Taunts, they're all your precious Insurgency has left. We'll find you, I promise it. The comforting arms of your late, lamented Nick Fury can only protect you for so long. Besides, Stark has orders to keep you alive. He probably thinks you'll be useful."**_

"You know like hell I'll work for him after what he's done!"

_**"Of course, I never expected it willingly. But there are some things Tony really doesn't have to know about, or perhaps he does and simply chooses to pretend they don't exist. We'll have you one way or another."**_ All the while they'd been walking around each other, both men sizing up the challenge of combat. But Barnes knew that the Iron Patriot armour wasn't going to falter to a mere EMP charge like that trooper. Osborn was armed to the teeth and this wasn't a fight he could win. Not now. He had to get the package to Steve and Rhodes.

So he did the unexpected. With sudden speed Barnes leapt nimbly out of the hole Osborn had created and into the rushing night air. With the sound of the Patriot taking to the sky behind him, Bucky adopted a free falling position as the metres passed by. With Osborn charging at him from behind Barnes suddenly opened his emergency parachute, right in the man's face, and with instant precision unclipped himself from the harness as the man above nosedived amid cursing as he wretched the cloth off which was covering him. With lightning reflexes Barnes tumbled as he landed with a heap on a pylon, swinging out his Cybernetic arm and grabbing the steel girder with all his might.

He caught it. Just about. _**Hell**__ of a close call._ With a spin of his feet Bucky dropped some twelve feet down and spun onto a adjoining roof. Osborn was flying down in his direction and he deftly managed to avoid gunfire and a repulsor blast as he ploughed down a doorframe, beginning a descent down the long emergency stairwell.

_**"Barnes!"**_ The enraged scream of Osborn above him quickened his pace, down two further flight and then through a doorway. Some offices, shut for the night, the logo of the Regime everywhere about the place.

He wasn't going to find a way out of here in time.

Then a crazy idea struck him. If this didn't work, Osborn would kill him, and if not Steve would probably be very tempted, but he really had nothing left to lose.

Osborn rounded the corner as Barnes unclipped the package, pulling out the object. Even with the dimness of its power it still emitted enough light to shine up the offices. Realising his ploy, the Iron Patriot flew at him-

"_**Take me to Steve Rogers!"**_ He practically screamed the words as his eyes screwed up.

* * *

The blow never came. Indeed he became aware of a warm voice in front of him. "Bucky, you're... back, I see." Eyes open, Barnes saw he was in the Insurgency Conference Room, Rogers half turned to face him besides Rhodes, an amused expression on his features. "New York to the Savage Land in about ten minutes is rather impressive even for you."

"Osborn was literially about to kick my ass. I didn't have much-"

"It's fine." Steve's smile smoothed away lingering doubts that Bucky had done the wrong thing. "What matters is that the Tesseract works, even as damaged and leaking as it is. Your desire to get to me back here was enough to activate it, even briefly. That proves we still have a chance."

"A long chance." Rhodes piped up. "But you did good, man. I think me and Hank can work with this. It'll take a while but... we might just pull it off."

"And if we do?" Barnes' thoughts were still clouded, given how many of their fellow resistance members had fought and died to get the Tesseract into their possession.

Steve gave him that look Barnes had remembered for years, that grim but determined expression which had encouraged hundreds of soldiers and dozens of heroes that, against the odds, they could prevail.

"If we do... then the real battle begins..."

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**[AN: Phew, that was a long opening chapter, more than I'd expected to be. Hope you enjoyed the opening! In the next three chapters I'll be turning back the clock to five years back and see the circumstances which led to the creation of the Regime, inspired by the opening arc of the Injustice Comic which also had some slight inspiration within this chapter, and then...? Well wait and see. :) Please review if you can, it's always good to have either praise or constructive criticism with my work.]**


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